Clare Starling
August in Tokyo
The Sky-Tree rises fine
above a silver strip of river –
froth shines on the Asahi Beer
building’s gold immensity
& I’m in Family Mart
buying custard cream buns,
cooling in the fridge section –
outside it’s mushi atsui, yo.
Free mist from awnings
won’t touch this heat –
cans of iced KO-HEE
thunk from the machine.
Under neon kanji glow, I go
through covered market
coral-reef sushi displays
to the Sensji-Ji temple,
put up my yellow umbrella,
a smaller sun
pass by the guardian deities,
write my future on a tile.